Water-control system for surface grinders



C. KNOWLES.

WATER CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SURFACE GRINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1920.

Pmned'M-d 16, 1922.

CARROLL KNOWLES, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. A SSIGNOR TO PRATT & WHITNEY COMPANY, OF NEW YORIQN. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WATER-CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SURFACE GRINDER/S.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Diary 16, 1922,

I Application filed November 9, 1920. Serial No. 422,901.

To (17? 101mm if may concern:

e it known that I. CARROLL Kxownns. a citizen of the l nited States. residing at Hartford. in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a \Yater- Control System for Surface Grinders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grinding machines of the surface type in which a wheel of abrasive material is rapidly revolved,

preferably about a vertical axis, and brought down into contact with work to be ground mounted upon a slowly revolving table.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a supply of water to the contacting surface of an abrasive wheel and work mounted on a revolving table. and particularly to provide means for conveniently controlling the amount of water supplied.

These controlling means operate to supply a quantity ofwater only when the wheel is in enga ement with the work and act automatical y to cut off the supply of water when the wheel is raised out of engagement with the work.

A further object of the inventlon 1s to provide'means to vary the amount of water supplied to the wheel and work during the grinding operation and to admit or cut 0E this variable amount of water when the wheel is in or out of contact with the work.

A further object of the invention is to:

provide a. main controlling valve for the water supply, this valve being adapted to i be opened variable distances when the wheel is in-engagement with the work and tightly or partly closed when the wheel is raise out of engagement with the work. This application forms a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 389,431, filed June 16, 1920.

to which the In the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of the invention which I now deempreferable but it is to be understood that changes and modifications maybe made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a machine present invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 shows. on an enlarged scale, parts forming the water controlling device.

Fig. 3 shows a side view thereof, and

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of'the same.

The invention in its broadest aspect comprises thefollowing principal elements; namely. first, a surface grinding machine which may be of the type disclosed ,in my copending application above mentioned second. a water supply system adapted to convey water or other cooling fluid from a suitable pump to work mounted on a rotating table: third, a valve for regulating the supply of'water to the above mentioned part; and fourth, a device operated by a wheel elevating lever to open and close this valve simultaneouslywith movement of the lever to raise or lower thewhe'el.

Referring more particularly to the figures of the drawings in" which is shown .a machineprovided with the present invention, 10 refers to the base or frame of the surface grinding machine-which is provided with a column'll resting upon the upper surface of the base 10. Preferably the column 11 is 14 and held in sliding engagement with the column 11. V

The wheel slide 13, the column 11 and the table 14 as well as the driving means for the wheel and table are in every way similar to the corresponding devices shown in my copending application above referred to and further description of these parts is therefore thought to be unnecessary.

As is usual in this class of machines. the wheel 15 and the work mounted on' table 14 are flooded with water to prevent them from becoming overheated. This water may be supplied through conduits to be described in detail later to a position 16 adjacent thetable 14 outside the abrasive wheel 15 and also, as shown at 17, to a point adjacent the table 14 within the abrading'ring of the'wheel 15. Fig. 1 shows means for supplying water to both of these positions or IIOZZ S 6 and. 17, one of which positions may be used alone, or both may be used simultaneously.

At 19 is shown a conduit extending from a pump 20 preferably mounted at one side of the machine and adapted to be supplied with water by conduit- 21 from a suitable tank preferably formed by the cavity within the base 10 of the machine. In conduit 19 is inserted a controlling valve 22 from which valve the conduit 19 extends to the position 17 just in rear of the table and below the wheel slide.

As shown in Fig. 1, the position 17 ot' the orifice of the conduit 19 is within the periphery of the wheel 15 and'just in rear of the table 14 so that water may be supplied to the point 17 from which it will be discharged directly onto the work. As the table 1% and wheel 15 are normally used in overlapped positions there is ample space for the conduit 19 to be extended to the point shown.

It is desirable in the operation of these machines that water be supplied to the work being ground and to the wheel 15 at all times during which the grinding operation is being carried out, but. as soon as the grinding is stopped and the operator is ready to test or remove the work from the table 1% the water should be immediately shut off so that the operation of removing or testing the work being ground may be more satisfactorily accomplished.

In order to accomplish this. I provide mechanism'coupled to the wheel elevating lever shown at 25 so that as soon as the work has been ground to the desired thickness and the arm or lever 25 raised to disengage. the wheel 15 from the work. water is promptly throttled or completely cut off from the position 17 and, as soon as grinding is started again and the wheel elevating lever 25 lowered, water is automatically started again.

ll therefore extend the stem 230i the main control valve 22 by means of extension 29 to a point-vertically below the wheel operating lever 25 and at that point connect it by means of a bell-crank in a manner presently to be described, to the lever 25.

.t lb one side of the machine column 11 is a bracket member 31 in which a short shaft 32 is mounted carrying a bell-crank 30. jacent the bell-crank 30 is another bellcrank 33 which is also pivotally mounted on the shaft 32. A yoke 34 is provided on one of the arms of the bell-crank 30 adapted to fit around the valve stem extension 29. The other arm of this bell-crank30 is extended into a handle 31- by means of which the valve stem may be manually operated to open or close the valve 22 it, at any time. it is desired to do so independently ot' movement of the lever 25. This bell-crank 30 is adapted to be attached to bell-cranlr 33 by means f a stream crank may be operated independently of the other. Stop members 40mounted on bracket member 31 limit the throw of the bell-crank 30 when operated manually by the handle 34. These contact with set screws 41 mounted in the bell-crank 30 and which may be adjusted to limit or vary the movementof this bell-crank and consequently the movement of the valve stem extension29.

The bell-crank 33 is attached as shown at 45 to a link 16 which, at its upper end, is attached to a part of the wheel elevating lever 25 so that movement of the lever 25 oscillates the bell-crank 33 and through this the other bell-crank 30 to open and close the valve 22. The link a6 is so connected to the lever 25 that the valve retains its maximum opening for a comparatively long are of movement of the lever 25. This will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 1.

In order to adjust-ably connect the yoke 31 of bell-crank 30 to the valve stem extension 29. T provide this extension with a. threaded end as shown at 47 on which are mounted two collars 4:8 and 19. The positions of these collars t8 and 49 may be adjusted along the extension 29 so that the distance between them may be varied. By suitably spacing the collars 48 and 19 apart in this manner, the movement of the valve stem 28 and extension 29 may be varied by reason of the varied amount of lost motion between the yoke 31 and the collar l9. This enables me to limit the opening of valve22 to any desired part of its full opening or to limit its closin; movement.

The collar 48 is set in all cases so that when the lever 25 is in its uppermost position the valve stem 28 will be in position to tightly close the valve 22. Preferably T mount a light spring 50 between the collar a3 and the side of the column 11, this serves to counterbalance the weight of handle 34.

' In the operation of this device, as soon as the lever 25 is lowered to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, thus bringing the wheel 15 into contact with the work mounted on table 'l-i and starting the grinding, the

This is accomplished in the fol lowin manner: movement of the lever 25 downward lowers the link or connecting rod 46 and oscillates the bell-crank 33 about shaft 32. I tached to bell-crank 30 as above described so that the two bell-cranks 30 and 33 oscillate together thus forcing the rod 29 to the right and opening the valve Thereverse movement of lever 25 to raise the wheel 15 Bell-crank is detachably; at-

pie

rein the n. is l i raises the link thus fore-- ng the extension 29 to the left to close-the valve 22.

The positionof nozzle 1? may be varied and for that reason a section l9 oi the conduit 19 is made flexible. A portion of the conduit- 19 adjacent the nozzle 17 passes through a bracket to which the conduit 19 may be fastened in any adjusted position by a. clamping screw 56.

The conduit 19 is preferably provided with a branch as shown at 51 extending to the nozzle 16 forward of the w ieel 15. As shown in Fig. 1. this branch 51 separates from conduit 19 before conduit if? reaches the valve 22. The branch conduit 51 therefore is unallected by the opening and closing of the valve 22 and so will be provided with a llow of water at all times that the pump 20 is in operation. in the branch conduit 51 is provided a valve adjacent the nozzle 16 so that the supply oi water through branch 51 may be manually varied or cut oil. it desired. however. the brain-h may separate from conduit 19 at a point beyond the alve 2; in which case the supply of water to nozzle will also be controlled by the opening anu ing of the valve- From the a description. it will seen that in-oveiue oi the wheel raising; lever .25 will open and elose the ralve 22 and control. the supply of water to the work as quired. Also it desired, the valve 22 may be. controlled manually by handle 3% independent-- 1}; of the lever 25 byrenioving the pin 35 from engagement with the bell-cranl 333.

What claim is:

1. ln a surface grinding llll(lllll.'ill? con1- bination of an annular abrasive wheel. a work table mounted overlapped relation thereto and out of all; i. nt therewith. and a stationary water supply conduit extending to a point adjacent the periphery of said work table and within the periphery oi the abrasive wheel.

:2. in a surface grinding machine. the combination ot' an annular abrasive heel rotatable about a vertical axis. a work table mounted in overlapped relation thereto and out of alignment therewith. and a water supply conduit. extending to a point :uljacent the periphery oi said work table within the periphery of the wheel and within the overlapped portion of the wheel.

3. in a surface grinding machine. the co1nbination of an annular abrasive wl eel rotatable about a vertical axis and engaging the work on one of its flat end faces, a. work table rotatable about an axis parallel to said wheel axis and out of alignment therewith. and a stationary water supply conduit terniinating adjacent said work table and within the periphery of the wheel whereby water may be supplied to the i 'ork With-.51 9 area engaged by the wheel.

l. in a surface grinding machine. the combination of an abrasive wheel, a work table .rnounted in relation thereto, a stationary I: 1 r. .2. M. binauon or an illllllllfii ilblciull'gwneei lot a w- 1 "I. J taoe about a veitieai skis and engaging tne work on one of its list t mounted in overl up ily condui Id work table apped portion of the wr ingr adjustment ofszhd 1 2 hi r-ion or an a .7 t i I. talne aoout vertical axis hie rotatable about eel axis. stationa rniinating adja the l v.z-iter may h n the area enga ed 1' ns permitting ad ustment said eon iative to said work table and wheel. a surface grinding machine intuition of a grinding wheel. a work iolding; table. means to supply water to saie. wheel and table. a valve to control said supply, means operated by movement 01? said wheel neel. and

toward and away from said tans to open and close said valve, said means comprising: a a bell-crank, and a valve in, said valve in being attached by me lever and hell-crank to said wheel x,

means.

5). ln a surface grinding bination of a grinding wheel. a work table. means to supply water to said wheel. and table, a valve to control said supply, means operated by movement of said wheel toward and away from said table to open and close said valve. and a detachable eonnection between said means and valve whereby saidvalve may be manua ly oper ated or operated by movement of said wheel toward or said table.

ill. in a surface grinding machine, the eombination of a grinding wheel. a work holding" tab e. means to supply water to said wheel and table, a, valve to control said supor' said .eva'ting llnililllg ply, means to raise and lower said wheel,

means connected to said raising and lower nection between said raising and lowering means and said valve to vary the amount of opening of said valve. i p

11. In a surface grinding machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a work holding table, means to supply water to said wheel and table,-a valve to control said supply, a valve stem therefor, a lever to raise and lower said wheel, means connected to said raising andlowering means and operated thereby toopen and close 'said valve, and an adjustable connection between said raising and lowering means and said valve stem to limit the opening of said valve.

12. In a surface grinding machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a work holding table, means to supply water to said wheel and table, a valve to control said supply, a valve stem therefor, means to raise and lower said wheel, means connected to said raising and lowering meansiand operated thereby to open and close said valve, and an adjustable connection between said I valve and said raising and lowering means,

comprising a pair of spaced collars on said valve stem to limit the opening of said valve.

13. In a surface grinding machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a work holding table, means to supply water to said wheel and table, a valve to control said supply, means to raise and lower said wheel, a link attached to said raising and lowering means, a bell-crank operated by movement of said link, a second bell-crank connected to said first bell-crank to open and close said valve, and means connecting said second bell-crank with said valve to open and close it simultaneously with movement of said wheel toward and away from said table.

14. In a surface grinding machine, the combination of a grinding wheel,'a work holding table, means to supply water to-said wheel and table, a valve to control said supply, means to raise and lower said wheel, a link attached to said raising and lowering means, a bell-crank operated by movement of said link, a second bell-crank connected to said first bell-crank. and means to detachably connect said bell-cranks to operate simultaneously, said second bell-crank being connected to said valve to open and close it simultaneously with movement of said wheel toward and from said table.

15. In a surface grinding machine, the combination of a grinding wheel, a Work holding table, means to supply water to said wheel and table, a valve to control said supply, a valve stem therefor, means to raise and lower 'said Wheel, a link attached to said raising and lowering means, and a bell-crank operated by movement of said link, and spaced collars connecting said valve stem to said-bell-c'rank to open and close said valve simultaneously with movement of said wheel toward and away from said table.

In testimony whereof, I hereto afiix my signature.

CARROLL KNOWLES. 

